Lauri Apple | Gawker
Citing his “quest to seek and destroy unnecessary burdens on the freedom and liberties of people,” a Republican state legislator has submitted a bill that would repeal Florida’s 22-year-old ban on tossing little people for sport at bars. He’s doing it for job creation!
The bill’s sponsor, Melbourne-based Rep. Ritch Workman, told the Palm Beach Post that the “archaic” 1989 ban serves no other purpose than to “prevent some dwarfs from getting jobs they would be happy to get…In this economy, or any economy, why would we want to prevent people from getting gainful employment?” Make no mistake: Workman’s no fan of dwarf-tossing! He calls it “repulsive and stupid.” But he doesn’t believe the state should tell dwarves that they can’t be tossed for pay.
Workman reportedly created his bill without talking to any little people, maybe because he didn’t know any or lost their numbers or JOBS. Meanwhile, past and present leaders of the Little People of America don’t support his bill at all:
“The people who were thrown [before the ban] were alcoholics with low self-esteem,” said [former Little People of America president] Robert Van Etten, 62, of Stuart. “Many of them were injured. One committed suicide.”
[…]
“[Dwarf tossing is] something that brings out the worst element in some people, and it’s focused on people who are the most vulnerable,” Van Etten said.
A current organization leader adds that dwarf-tossing puts people at risk for paralysis and is also “degrading.” But should we let those concerns stop Florida from creating a few hundred (probably low-paying, benefit-free) jobs? Workman doesn’t think so. Neither does dismal failure Governor Rick Scott, who supports lifting the ban because he supports basically any terrible idea that will create shitty jobs.
[Palm Beach Post, via Broward Palm Beach New Times. Images via Ritch Workman’s website and Shutterstock]
The original version of the story appears here: http://gawker.com/5847231/florida-lawmaker-wants-to-repeal-dwarf+tossing-ban
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